


Dark Fever

by SrebrnaFH



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Aliens Made Them Do It, Caring Martouf, Drugged Samantha, F/M, Fluff, Sex Pollen, only not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2019-02-22 20:41:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13174800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SrebrnaFH/pseuds/SrebrnaFH
Summary: Aliens made them do it, only not really.Aliens TRIED, but Samantha was better.-----"So, one of them is depressed and the other suicidal. Just perfect combination to save Sam" Janet combed through her hair again and again with all fingers. "What a clusterfuck."-----





	Dark Fever

**Author's Note:**

> I've read several Sex Pollen fics recently and - while the premise is quite a bit of fun - mostly everywhere everyone just looses their control and goes at it. I thought - what would happen if the affected person was Samantha and, due to her body chemistry being a bit different (after Jolinar), she was still in contact with her surroundings?  
> And what would be the solution, if all was analysed scientifically?

Jack's voice shook as he stepped away from the observation window.

"This is degradation."

"This is..." Daniel rubbed his eyes. "This is inhumane."

General Hammond grunted and turned his back to the darkened glass.

"Can't add much more" he shook his head. "I've never... Even when we were hit by that plague from P3X-797, I don't think it was that bad."

"It wasn't" Janet shut the door and leaned on it heavily. "It was very different. It wasn't targeted, it wasn't... it wasn't _demeaning_ in such a terrible way. She knows what is happening! She understands it, and she is so ashamed..."

Daniel pushed his glasses up a bit.

"She shouldn't be. It's not her fault that they did... _this_."

Janet looked at him heavily.

"Women in our culture - yes, in ours, too - are deeply and very effectively conditioned to be ashamed of their sexuality. Despite the fact that it's not her fault in any way, she does and will feel ashamed. And violated. You will have to understand this, going forward - she will, most probably, experience all the typical reactions of a rape victim. Whatever happens next, that is the basic assumption we must work from - she should be undergoing proper psychotherapy the moment we manage to resolve the purely physiological part. Still, even this is a problem, because..."

"Because she won't accept any of us as a solution" provided Jack darkly.

Janet nodded and shrugged.

"She takes a bit of comfort from my presence, and Cassie's, as apparently we're not at risk of becoming... permanently attached. But it's not what the drugs are pushing her for."

"Thank you, doctor" the general sat at the end of the table. "Do you have any suggestions, based on what Major Carter said?"

Janet combed through her hair nervously.

"She definitely asked for the Colonel to keep away, if possible. She..." Janet made a frustrated sound. "She can't relax enough. There's enough of her still in control, and combined with the drug - the fever and, I'm guessing, some hallucinations, she's too afraid of the regulations to let herself go."

"Doctor Jackson?"

Daniel rolled his eyes.

"Already on our way here she said, I quote, 'I like you like a brother, Daniel. Actually, I like you _more_ than my brother, and that's an even bigger problem.'"

Silence fell for a longer moment.

"What about some boyfriend? Didn't she have a fiance at some point?" general murmured, deep in thought.

"One, they would have to have a clearance. Two, I don't think she would accept a guy that she had _ditched_ at some point, would she?" Janet tapped on the notepad with a pencil.

"So what we need is...?"

"We need someone she is reasonably friendly with" Daniel suggested.

"Someone not in the military" Jack added, quietly.

"Someone who already knows about the program" Janet provided and started taking notes.

"Someone who can be trusted to keep the confidence and stay with her however long is needed."

Daniel blinked and raised a hand, silencing everyone.

"Does it have to be someone from _Earth_?" he asked slowly. "Because we know many people on other planets that _do_ know about the gates, so that would not be a problem. And counting all the people that Sam helped, there must be someone who... well."

They all looked with embarrassment at the darkened window.

"I can't believe we are sitting here and calmly discussing the potential love life of our coworker. Or sex life, whatever" Janet groaned, rubbing her face with both hands. "Can any of you _please_ explain to me, in plain words, what exactly you did to make the locals do... _that_?"

Daniel shrugged and sipped his coffee.

"Not much" he said finally. "I'd be guessing that it was simply Sam being obviously female, obviously attractive and obviously unattached. I think they try to pull this crap on every group of strangers that comes across their village. From what we could see, women there were from wildly varying ethnic backgrounds."

"And you're absolutely sure that _this_ is the only solution?"

"Reasonably sure, yes" Jack sounded rather grim. "The bloody chieftain actually offered his own services the moment they saw she started to react, but Carter kept her wits and told us to make a run for it. They probably would have tried to stop us, but they noticed that Teal'c had tasted the same dish and while they would have been happy to include an exotic blonde in their village, they weren't counting on having a Jaffa on their hands. One of the guards explained that much to us once Teal'c caught him by his ankles and started shaking him so much his teeth rattled. Apparently the reaction for males also includes possessiveness and aggression, and Teal'c, staying in partial control, channelled the effect into getting us answers. I suppose his Jaffa metabolism helped a lot. Still, the moment we arrived, he left to be with his wife. Lucky for him."

"We haven't heard anything from him, since. And it's been six hours" Daniel added morosely. "But we don't know how long the after-effect lasts."

"Now, gentlemen" the general called their attention back to the list in front of Janet. "Who of our allies can be trusted enough to be asked to participate in this... this travesty, and at the same time be acceptable to Major Carter?"

Janet grimaced.

"To cut this short, I see two basic options" she said with distaste. "Both of them come with certain... additional problems."

Daniel groaned.

"I suppose one of them comes with all the various crap that Tollans may try to pull if they get a chance" he mumbled. "And that would possibly be the most humiliating negotiation with them _ever_."

Jack noisily slurped the rest of his coffee and looked stonily at the wall above the dark window. In momentary silence they could hear soft, pained moans and Cassandra's low, comforting voice from the next room. Hammond pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What is the other option that you suggest, doctor?"

She shuffled the papers in front of her and sighed.

"We'd have to contact general Carter" she said finally. "And we'd have to tell him what's happening with Sam. And she asked to keep it from him, for as long as possible."

Daniel pushed his glasses up again.

"You mean, we should ask Tok'ra for help with this? Maybe they have some medicines that could..."

She shook her head.

"I trust the Tok'ra to have any kind of fabulous medicines, but I'm not sure _this_ can be managed with drugs anymore. Most probable is just slowing of the damage, but I'm afraid the cure must be exactly what they told you it must be."

They looked at each other uncomfortably.

"All right, I'll contact Jacob" Hammond finally caved in. "I suppose he won't be as eager to shoot me as he would one of you."

Jack grimaced sadly.

"I'd take being shot by Jacob over watching _this_ " he gestured towards the window. "At least I'd know what to do with _that_ kind of injury."

 

***

 

"She's _what_?" Jacob Carter wasn't a man to gladly accept any kind of insult to his beloved daughter. "Where the hell did you send them, George?"

"One of the planets in gamma quadrant" Hammond pointed to the big star map in the corner. "It seemed safe and easy, actually. Previous teams were welcomed and we were aiming at a good trade deal, but they had some machinery Sam wanted to examine, so SG-1 joined SG-6 and..."

"God, George. How could Jack and Daniel..."

"They didn't know the food was laced with... whatever that was. The dish was presented especially for Sam - as some kind of special honour - but fortunately the team is already experienced, so she shared everything with Teal'c. They both have enhanced metabolisms, albeit in different ranges. That's probably why she's still conscious and in contact with us - or at least with Janet - and Teal'c managed to stay himself long enough to go visit his wife. However even Sam can't keep this up much longer, and the drug was apparently meant to make her pliable and..." he trailed off "... _eager_ to become the chieftain's next wife. One of a few dozen, we're guessing."

"What kind of culture is this?" Jacob's hand trembled, holding the coffee cup.

"One that doesn't allow single women to travel with men without being attached to one" George answered succinctly. "Which is sexist crap, of course, and that only makes it so much worse for Sam. Jack and Daniel can barely stand this, but Janet says that Sam is getting worse with every hour. She is apparently so humiliated she doesn't feel she will be able to show her face at the base anymore. She didn't want us to contact you, for obvious reasons, but we're out of options, so I made an executive decision to ignore that particular request."

Jacob sighed.

"Well then, why not suggest she would be given an indefinite medical leave and have Jack step in?" he said slowly, biting each word off with effort.

"She's feverish and hallucinating, sir" Janet explained, stepping into the room. "I tried reasoning with her, but she got stuck on that idea that it can't be Jack and it can't be Daniel. Everyone else is not... well, doesn't know her all that well, and I wouldn't be willing to try to foist one of them on her. She would _know_ and remember. Unlike that old plague, when most lost their memories afterwards, she _would know_. Also, if what Teal'c managed to shake out of that man was correct, there is a risk of..." she grimaced "...some kind of mental bond. I'm not happy to say this kind of unscientific rubbish, but considering how many different cultures that we've met actually do have bonding, mating or whatever else as the basis for relationships, I wouldn't be surprised if what they said was actually, fully true. The drug may have some elements that will put the victim under a kind of chemical hypnosis or deep suggestion and then change their perception of whoever is, well. Helping them" she took a deep breath. "What I mean is..."

" **We need someone we can all trust, and that Samantha can trust and that will be an acceptable partner - or more - for her, should the long-term features of the drug work as we're fearing"** Selmak summarised for Janet. " **And there is one obvious choice. Which is also, I must admit, quite fortuitous for us, too. He had become rather... despondent, recently. Even thoughtless.** _ **Reckless**_ **, if you can say this about one of ours.** "

"Wouldn't Lantesh intervene?" Janet frowned.

Jacob/Selmak closed their eyes.

" **Lantesh is no help** " Selmak explained reluctantly. " **Actually, I sometimes think it's more Lantesh than Martouf being at fault. I'd blame both of them equally, but mostly when I see Martouf in control, he sits in his quarters or pretends to be asleep. Every mission was done with Lantesh at the steering wheel, so to say.** "

"So, one of them is depressed and the other suicidal. Just perfect combination to save Sam" Janet combed through her hair again and again with all fingers. "What a clusterfuck."

"Actually" Jacob licked his lips and tsked. "That may be the mission that will kick him out of that dark hole. He's not in actual depression - after sitting in veteran hospitals long enough I learnt the basic rules - he's just really, really down. He doesn't eat unless someone reminds him, he doesn't join the social occasions, he just goes for missions, comes back and well nigh barricades himself in his rooms."

Hammond chewed on his lip for a moment.

"Very well. We already know that he is Sam's best shot. Tollans are second, but there is no person on this base that would have been happy negotiating with one of them. Especially from already lost position - they could demand everything they wanted."

"At least with Tok'ra you already have a member of the Council on your side. Also, in my case - and Selmak does agree with me here - I could treat the whole thing as a family matter, and whatever provisions I choose to make for Sam's benefit, the Council will accept them."

"So, taking one of the operatives on an unscheduled side mission...?"

Jacob shrugged.

"Should not be a problem. And I'm almost sure Martouf will be more than willing to help."

 

***

 

The young operative looked at him with wide eyes.

"She's _what_?" he asked, echoing Jacob's own dread from mere hours before. "How could they allow... What can we do?"

Jacob shuddered, frustrated.

" **Jacob is having problems with phrasing it in the right way** " Selmak informed Martouf. " **This is a part of cultural taboo on Earth - and many other cultures - and as a father he finds it hard to speak of his grown-up daughter's... relationships. And this is what is needed. Someone to enter into a... relationship, with Samantha. Someone we can all trust. Starting with Samantha, of course. And as you know very well, this is tricky - between the needs of Earth, and of all our peoples, and the needs of Samantha, there is only a limited number of people who would, as Jacob would say, fit the bill. Out of these, you...** seem like the best choice" Jacob ended, grimacing. "Not the last choice, but the best."

Martouf chuckled weakly.

"That must be one fabulous group, if I'm the best option" he said derisively. "Because, really. Me?"

"Yes, you. Stop trying to be funny and start thinking" Jacob glared at him. "At this moment the only thing that is keeping Sam alive is enormous amount of sedatives and continuous presence of either Janet or Cassandra, and even they can't keep this up much longer. Sam will be... damaged, from the amount of drugs Janet has to use on her. And even that doesn't stop the fever, which may also cause..." he breathed deeply "...significant brain damage."

"When do we go?"

" **First, get a bath** " Selmak rolled his eyes. " **And find some clean clothes. But be quick about it, boy. We'll be waiting by the gate for you**."

 

***

 

Hours seemed to drag infinitely as they waited and Janet finally had to spell Cassandra at Sam's bed. Her friend seemed to have withdrawn into some kind of semi-catatonic state, surfacing only when the door was opened, covering her eyes from even the weakest light.

"Cass, go to my quarters and catch some sleep" Janet pushed her daughter into more upright position. "I'll take over here. Go, go."

As she toed off her sneakers, sitting down on the thick foam mattress, Sam rolled over towards her, dragging her IV-studded right hand behind her.

"Janet" she breathed. "Where's Cassie?"

"I told her to get a rest" Janet gathered Sam closer and stroke her damp hair slowly. "Now, it's just the two of us. I told the boys to leave the observation room finally, and I took the keys away, just in case they give in to a case of nerves and come checking on you."

Sam relaxed minutely, her head heavy on Janet's shoulder.

"Thank you" she said through clenched teeth. "It's weird, knowing they are watching most of the time."

Janet rubbed away a small tear on Sam's cheek.

"Not really watching, not as such. Mostly checking the monitors. But still, I told them you'd feel better if you knew they were not looking. They... they love you so much, you know?"

Sam nodded slowly, her hand creeping up to entangle her fingers with Janet's.

"I don't want them to... to remember me like this" she whispered softly. "I must have hope that despite all this, they will remember the actual real _me_."

"Shhh" Janet hugged the overheated body to her own, much smaller one. "Shh. It will all be fine. We've found a solution. You just have to wait."

Sam blinked slowly, looking up at her friend.

"Who...?"

"Shh. Hammond... Hammond told your dad. I know it's not what you wished, but it seems it was a good idea" Janet said slowly, into Sam's hair. "Jacob is bringing the solution. Now, do you think you may be up to standing up? Taking a shower?"

Sam shuddered. _God bless Tok'ra. They can probably whip up a cure for this in no time._

"I... I may be" she finally agreed. "But I'm not sure my legs are going to work..."

"Come" she propped Sam up and towards the wheelchair. Deft fingers transferred the IV bags and attached them to the chair's holders. "The bathroom is here, and you can sit on this little seat, directly under the water. I will run a shower for you and then make the bed, all right?"

Sam smiled crookedly.

"I won't be going anywhere."

 

***

 

Finally, after much effort, they were back on the mattress. The sheets were fresh and Sam felt a tiny twinge of pleasure sliding between them, her body pleasantly cooled by the shower.

"I'll be back in just a moment" Janet caressed her face for a moment. "I need to check on your father's arrival and..."

Sam nodded absently and slid a bit lower, under the covers. The shower had been a good idea. She felt significantly better than she had just an hour before and she had to admit, part of her reaction to other people must have partially been the fault of the discomfort she felt due to simply being sweaty and overheated.

Somehow, maybe due to sheer exhaustion, she managed to fall asleep.

 

***

 

Someone was in the room with her, in the darkness. She still felt rather relaxed, but the presence she felt made her tense up, just a bit.

"J-janet?"

A slow, deliberate step.

"Samantha."

She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Samantha?"

"I'm here" she whispered, and felt the mattress dip just a bit on the left.

He was doing something - getting rid of his shoes, probably? Then there was movement next to her and she was pulled into an embrace - an embarrassingly naked male embrace. Her head got propped, rather comfortably, on the man's shoulder, and the rest of her body carefully arranged for as much direct contact as possible.

"Why...?"

He kissed the top of her head and held her a bit closer.

"They said you needed me" he whispered. "How could I _not_ come?"

"Did they tell you... you might..."

"End up permanently bonded? Yes, they did. Whatever that means. But we're not going to do anything we don't need. I don't wish for a bond you were forced into. If we end up together, we do it because we _both_ want it."

She sighed and shivered slightly.

"Just hold me."

 

***

 

"How are they doing?"

Janet looked up from the monitor showing Sam's heart rate.

"It... seems to be, well. Working. I'm not checking in on them - and neither are you, Daniel. Or Jack. Actually, according to all normal privacy rules the only person who _can_ ask me this question and expect me to answer in full is general Carter."

Daniel made a small surprised sound.

"He is her next of kin _and_ he is his next of kin, at least on Earth. But I can tell you that she seems to be sleeping, for the last three hours, which is good. It is the most sleep she's managed to have since coming back. Her temperature is a bit higher than normal, but there are no spikes."

 

***

 

She felt unbearably _hot_ and it seemed as if her skin had grown too small for her. She could feel every IV port on her hand, every sensor Janet stuck to her skin, even every tiniest hair on her hands and legs and head - and everywhere else. Her nerves were electrified and she found, with embarrassment, that she could focus only in one area of her body. Curling in an even tighter ball she brought pressure on her mound with the heel of her hand. A small, pitiful moan escaped her lips.

Suddenly a door opened and closed and there was a flurry of movement next to her and someone was pulling her in, holding her, with hands dragging hers up to hold them against her belly.

"Shh" he whispered, rocking her slightly. "I'm here. I just had to go to doctor Fraiser for a moment, she needed to check me, make sure I'm doing fine. And she made me drink and eat something" he kissed the nape of her neck with blessedly cool lips. "They don't want anyone coming in, in case it interrupts something, so it's only us and her. She even sent everyone away from all the rooms around us" he made a pause and his hand worked itself under her loose shirt and was now caressing the skin of her abdomen.

"Why?" she asked shakily.

"She doesn't want anyone just 'by accident' interrupting us. Or disturbing your recovery. Whatever it is that is happening. She will be the only one monitoring us."

Sam managed to relax, just minutely.

"That's good" she said tiredly. "I hope the others can get some sleep, they've been on guard ever since we came back."

"Don't worry" he kissed a small trail from her ear to the tip of her shoulder. "You are supposed to rest, as much as you can. And it seems me being here helps. So, try to sleep, too. If you can."

She shivered just a bit.

"But they said..." she sighed and tried to focus, but between her fever and his hands she found it a challenge. "They said that this will only end if I..."

"I know" he pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. "But we can take it slow. It seems to be already helping with your blood pressure and temperature - you were spiking, and that was why doctor Fraiser sent me back in here, but now it seems normal. So we can afford to delay. I don't want you... like now, just because you have no other choice. This is as bad as taking an unwilling host. Jacob and Selmak had gone back to Tok'ra and they are working on a cure - or at least something to lessen the symptoms. What _I_ need to do is to keep you stable until they manage to find one."

She pressed closer into his chest, her fingers trembling as she tried to pull her t-shirt up and off. He helped her silently and then again gathered her to him, both gasping quietly at the sudden skin to skin contact.

Sam felt herself slipping away, but at least this time it was not into a mindless, furious heat of _need_ , but into the calm haze of closeness with someone she could trust.

 

***

 

"Whatever it is, it's working" Janet reported to Jacob Carter. "Her blood pressure has a tiny spike from time to time, but mostly she's half-asleep and around normal stats. The only moment it goes up is when Martouf has to leave her or someone else comes in."

"So it is stable as long as she's in contact with him?"

Janet nodded and looked at him questioningly.

"Yeah" he said, rubbing his eyes. "They are working. Of course, the first solution they suggested was for Sam to become a host. It is, well, simple and rather obvious, but I had to respectfully tell them to shove it, and Selmak supported me. **I told them Samantha had already been made a host under less than desirable circumstances once, and do they wish another such event on her. Somehow they were under impression that in her current state she could make an informed and rational choice and not feel violated afterwards.** Well, that's more or less this. Considering that taking unwilling hosts is what is supposed to be the difference between Tok'ra and Goa'uld, they were shamed into looking for another solution. I'm having bad influence on Selmak, I'm afraid."

Janet jotted down some notes.

"When could we expect some... feedback from Tok'ra?"

"They are scheduled to call in an hour or so. I'll let you know the moment I know something."

 

***

 

One of the Tok'ra scientists was standing by the monitor, looking much paler than he usually did. The other two hadn't managed to keep up even that long and were checking the samples Janet had collected, from time to time glaring in the general direction of Sam's room with revulsion.

"What kind of culture..." one of them uttered, before pausing with frustration.

"Primitive" Janet answered shortly. "Don't even start, we've gone through _all_ this already. Who, why, how, what for. Everything. We had to sedate Daniel to get him to stop considering effective ways of getting rid of the drug, and the whole custom. The general had put a temporary lock on the gate coordinates of that planet so that nobody tries anything in retaliation."

Relka, the one by the monitor, shuddered.

"I wonder how he can stand it" he said sadly. "I mean, look. He is there, he _is_ the solution, but he only keeps her... stable. We know he could resolve this whole thing easily. Why doesn't he?"

Janet glanced at the other two Tok'ra - both women - and shrugged.

"Martouf said that if Sam gets worse, he will intervene. But as long as she's stable and comfortable, he is not going to move even a step forward."

"And he's a smart boy" Jacob added, entering the small lab. "Should he... do what is needed immediately, he would have one of two outcomes. If the bond - whatever it is supposed to be - is created, then the person he'd be bonded to would no longer be actually Sam, if what the natives described is true. If the bond isn't created, then Sam would remain herself, but the outcome for the two of them would be hardly better than that of a rape" he swallowed with effort and squeezed his eyes shut. "However much I detest discussing my daughter's potential sex life, this is what is at stake here. He feels that if he only keeps her well long enough, someone will find a way to nullify the drug's effects and then Sam would be free to make an actual _choice_. Which is quite fine by me, as her father."

 

***

 

She was just in her tiny scraps of underwear, he kept the shorts on, to make sure there is no more risk than necessary. Her head rested on his shoulder, her breaths coming shallow and fevered. He could feel the shivers starting to come and held her closer, wrapping both their bodies in the comforter.

She was lucid, despite the drugs and the fever and the - as Janet described it - overwhelming storm of random hormone discharges. She was lucid enough to thank him for being so careful, for coming for her and for his willingness to participate in the whole operation. On the other hand, she was just lucid enough to feel deeply humiliated by the simple fact that someone _had_ to come to her rescue.

"Like some stinking p-princess stuck in a t-tower" she mumbled at some point. "Like a b-blasted damsel in d-distress. Like an innocent maiden stuck in a cell guarded by a big, scary d-dragon!"

He had to ask Jacob for explanation when he left her in Janet's capable hands for another half hour. The man looked at him gravely and provided short summaries of some of Earth's most popular fairy tales. The insight into Sam's way of thinking they gave him was something new.

"You're not a princess" he said when she shivered in his embrace later that day. "And I am no prince."

"W-why?"

"Because princesses waited passively, for just _anyone_ to help them. Also, the princes had no names and barely knew their ladies before rescuing them. And here and now the whole point is that you needed someone who was already your friend" he pressed his lips to her shoulder. "So no, you are not a princess in a tower, you are a brilliant scientist in a top-secret military base. You managed to stay in control long enough for all of you to escape from that awful planet, and then you could convince doctor Fraiser that you know what you want. You _are_ in control, Samantha."

She sighed and snuggled closer to him.

"Thank you" she managed to whisper before another bout of shakes interrupted her.

 

***

 

They ended up sitting leaning against the wall - her back to his chest, the only thing separating them the cloth of their underwear. He wrapped them both in layers and layers of blankets and comforters, as she seemed to vacillate between fever and shaking, even despite all direct contact they could manage.

He sat her straighter, aligning her spine with his front and started massaging up and down her sides, closer and closer to her navel. Very, very slowly and carefully he brought his hands up to just under her heaving breasts.

"Samantha" he said softly into her ear. "I'm afraid we'll have to escalate. The scientists are still working on the right drug cocktail, but you're no longer staying stable. I hope - I _hope_ \- we can keep from progressing to... much further. But I'm going to move forward a step or two. Please, you know it's just to try to relieve the pressure without _actually_ relieving it completely, yes?"

She nodded shakily.

His hands slowly crept up, cool against her warm skin, until he was cupping her breasts fully. He kept them there, motionless, as she breathed slowly, his hands filling in and emptying with her every move. With infinite care he brought her closer to him, slowly and carefully caressing the soft skin on the underside of her breasts, then up the side by the armpit, back into the middle, thumbs rubbing the tops and then meeting in the middle.

He _felt_ her heart rate drop and her temperature lowered rather effectively, too.

Her sigh of both pleasure and relief tickled his ear as she slowly relaxed and softened, moulding herself to his body.

 

***

 

"This is humiliating" Travell viewed the document in disgust. "Why are you showing this to us? Who would do such a thing?"

Daniel sighed.

"The planet we visited has, apparently, some kind of marriage ritual in which both sides take a basic version of the drug. This ensures the pair stays married, due to the bond going both ways. Someone had found... They perverted the ritual, both by making the drug much more concentrated and by using it only on one side of the pair. Thus creating a mind-bonded slavery system. What we want is for you to look into the samples we provided and look for potential solution. Both to inoculate people who would go back to that planet - our last team had barely managed to obtain enough information and samples, as it seems the drug works also when injected or just introduced with a poisoned weapon - and to counteract the effects on someone currently under the influence."

Narim frowned at the bland recitation.

"What do you mean by 'currently'?"

Daniel and Teal'c exchanged glances.

"Teal'c was affected by the drug, to some degree."

"Indeed I was. I am also fortunate to have a very forgiving and patient wife. She accepted me in my... state, and helped me to overcome the drug's effects."

"Which means?" Travell lifted a page. "Oh."

"Well, that" Daniel nodded. "Unfortunately not everyone who is affected _does_ in fact have a partner. This is what the chieftain who uses the drug counts on. He... picks single females" Daniel pressed his lips into an unhappy, thin line. "And so we have one of our own now... in this state. She is being kept stable, but if this goes any longer..."

Narim blanched.

"Samantha?" his whisper was not a question, it sounded more like a prayer for a denial.

Travell straightened. "Major Carter is the one affected?" she asked sharply.

Daniel nodded slowly.

"It is Major Carter" Teal'c confirmed quietly. "And we fear greatly that she may sustain significant damage, should this not be resolved."

"Why didn't you come to us with this earlier?" Narim asked in such a broken way that it pricked Daniel's conscience. "We could have come with you and... I'd be glad to help Samantha, if it were possible."

Teal'c leaned towards the documents and pointed out one of the paragraphs.

"This option was also considered" he said. "However, should you look at the part... we had to be very careful in choosing who may be an appropriate candidate."

"We don't know what may be the outcome of that 'bonding' in Sam's case" Daniel added. "Part of the drug's function was reduced, as Sam's metabolism is... enhanced. Which leaves us unsure as to what is actually left."

"Major Carter had declined the offer of... relief from several of her friends, who would have been most happy to help. She, and all of us, fears what could happen to her personality, should she be subjected to that bonding process."

Travell pushed the document away from herself with disgust.

"I wouldn't allow it for any other kind of technology" she said slowly. "But this is medicine, and very specific area of it. We'll take the samples and get back to you" she stayed silent for a moment. "Narim, if you wish, and our Tau'ri friends agree, you can go with them. Take note of every symptom you may notice and report back. We may need your presence at the scene to progress."

Daniel glanced at Teal'c, who grimaced slightly.

"We'll welcome all help. The nature of it will be, of course, up to Sam."

 

***

 

"And then the Council proposed the solution that was, of course, the most obvious to them" Jacob's raised voice filtered to the corridor. "Which Selmak, fortunately, shot down, but still, they voiced it. As a, supposedly, reasonable alternative."

"Which was?" general Hammond asked the question Daniel was waiting for.

"I'm guessing they wanted her to become a host" Jack's normal irreverence was almost absent. He sounded too tired to act up, by Daniel's guess. "That would solve both the question of the drug and the current health issues. Teal'c managed to get rid of his compulsion almost immediately, due to his metabolism. Sam's managed to overcome part of what the drug does - and I'm guessing that's one more thing we can thank Jolinar for."

"Jolinar?" Narim whispered to Daniel.

"Sh. A Tok'ra who used to... live in Sam."

Narim's eyes widened.

"A Tok'ra?" he hissed. "Sam used to have a _symbiote_?"

"Shh!"

"Great sky, I've never..."

"Now you know. Shut up."

"But I'm guessing Selmak told them what they could do with this kind of proposition?" Hammond again took over the discussion.

"I explained that if Tok'ra start taking unwilling hosts - and we _know_ Sam is unwilling - then we may just as well commit a mass suicide. And that it would be tantamount to rape, which was the beginning to the whole discussion."

"Very well. The question is, are they willing to continue working on the antidote?"

"Most of the Council was horrified at the news of existence of such a drug and nobody could say that they are against working on countermeasures. Some were not as willing as others to lend us the needed staff, but we convinced them that it is better to see Samantha's reactions directly and, should a solution be found, to test it immediately."

"That's good. Just in case, we've sent some samples and full description to the Tollans. They should be able to produce something helpful, too. Or, at least, should they come to that blasted planet, they will be forewarned."

"It would be a bad thing if that guy managed to 'collect' a Tollan" Jack added grimly. "I'd rather have them warned and ready, just in case. We can't warn all the civilisations in the galaxy, but we'll do what we can."

 

***

 

Narim was introduced to the Tok'ra scientists in the lab and sat on the side, observing their progress. Not being a medical professional, he still could suggest some small improvement to the general method, from time to time and it seemed that they actually appreciated someone asking new questions. He could see that they had been at the task long enough to welcome any kind of fresh input, even if not strictly helpful.

"The man who spoke with such authority" he ventured a question to Daniel at some point. "He spoke about Tok'ra in the way that denotes his familiarity with them, who is he?"

Daniel frowned.

"Jacob? He is a Tok'ra. The only one from Earth, for the moment. He is ex-military, used to be a general - still technically is, but retired."

Narim nodded slowly.

"He also spoke about Samantha as if he knew what is best for her."

"Hah. That is what fathers do" Daniel explained quietly. "He is Sam's father, you see. They try not to advertise it too much, because that makes her life in the military so much harder."

"Why would it?"

"There are people who would say her father must have done stuff to make it easier for her to advance. Even though he did no such thing."

Narim's expression made Daniel sigh. The explanation of the ideas of feminism and role of a woman in modern society took them additional two hours.

 

***

 

"So this may be very damaging to Samantha's reputation, just because of her gender?"

"And because by - probably - "bonding" with someone she may become a liability. Even Tok'ra, who are our close allies _and_ have her father in their ranks, may be seen as 'risky' in such case. Actually, accepting a symbiote might be more acceptable to the decision makers. Tok'ra symbiotes are a known quality. Jacob has one, Sam already used to have one, too. We know how they behave, we know what they want. That supposed bond? We have no idea what it does. We can't allow this to happen."

"Even with an ally? Like Tok'ra or... or us?"

Daniel glanced at him.

"Would you want to become the sole focus of someone who looks like Sam but will never think an original thought, ever? Who would always be perfectly obedient and never talk back?"

Narim shuddered and shook his head.

"Yeah. This is the description we got from the natives and I must tell you, none of us likes it. So that's what we are all trying to avoid. Especially the ones who love her. And Martouf is there for her, exactly with this aim in sight. Keeping her alive and fine for as long as it takes the medics to come up with a solution."

 

***

 

Janet fell asleep in the most uncomfortable position he had ever seen, sitting in her desk chair, her head lolling to the side. Daniel grimaced in sympathy and, very carefully, rolled the chair closer to the cot - now almost a standard piece of equipment in Janet's office - and very slowly pulled and pushed her on top of the covers.

Once he managed to get rid of her shoes and glasses, he spread a blanket over her sleeping form. Even in supposed rest, she was tense and immediately curled up on herself.

The light off, the doors closed and the computer monitors turned away from her, Daniel sat in her chair, reaching out to clasp her hand in his.

There wasn't much he could do for Sam, but someone had to make sure Janet wouldn't be working herself into the ground. At least that was in his area of competence.

 

***

 

Two days later, there was no discernible progress from the side of Tollans - which made their scientists quite frustrated - but Tok'ra triumphantly managed to produce a rather simple concoction which would enable any future visitors to the planet to inoculate themselves against the drug. Experimentally, it was also administered to Sam, but it didn't provide any visible change.

Even worse, she started to lose control of her tongue, at least according to Janet's estimation.

"You have to up my sedative dosage" she gasped into Janet's ear as she was spelling Martouf for half an hour. "Or I will just jump his bones the moment he comes back, and neither of us wants that."

Janet shook her head and checked the IVs carefully.

"Barring putting you in a coma, I don't have much more I can safely give you."

"Fuck safety" her friend gritted her teeth. "We can deal with physiological fallout later, now I either need a really nice fat dose of whatever you have that will calm me down or a really nice fat cock so deep in me I won't be able to walk straight for a week. Preferably Martouf's, because that boy is really packing. Also, make that drug something that will stop me from talking, or I'm going to scare him to the other end of our galaxy."

"I don't think Martouf could ever be actually _scared_ of you, but I will see what Tok'ra have in their stashes - maybe they have something appropriate for people with symbiote-enhanced metabolism, too. The remnants of Jolinar dealt with part of the drug, which is nice, but they are also making short work of every normal meds we had on base."

"I just hope" Sam tensed, a small shudder going down her spine. "I just hope they find something in time, before I accidentally damage their operative by trying to force myself on him."

 

***

 

The room was brought to slightly lower temperature again, basing on Sam's indication that her fever was spiking and she was getting dramatically overheated. Martouf shivered slightly in his shorts, but kept a brave face when she clung to him desperately and her hands roamed all over his body. At least in that temperature all that he could do was to hold her, caress her and try to take the edge off her need. The high wave of temperature, arousal and desperate loss of any kind of control turned her into a quivering, moaning and _wet_ mess.

In a bold and desperate move, he finally disconnected the glucose IV, dragged Sam up and carried her into the dimly-lit bathroom, where he ground his teeth and turned the cold water on, as far as the regulator allowed. He had to hold her under the icy stream with all of his strength, but after a few minutes it actually seemed to work. She was shivering, but due to the temperature of the water and not to the fact that her whole body tried to work towards a wild, uncontrolled mating.

"We have to be realistic, Martouf" she said, her teeth rattling. "Either we take this to the next level or we have to search for a sarcophagus, and nobody wants _that_."

"The sarcophagus is a known quality" he said, also a bit unstable. "And while in normal circumstances I'd be quite happy to follow your request, I'd say that actually, it may be _safer_ to use the sarcophagus than to go through with this... ritual. Despite the fact that we usually forgo usage of the sarcophagus, at least we know exactly how one works."

"What did they discuss upstairs, what are our other options?" she pressed tight into his body, her eyes for once clear and normally coloured, showing her conscious intelligence yet again.

"A symbiote, of course" he pushed his hips to hers, drawing a prolonged hiss from her lips.

"And what did my father say to that?"

"Mostly obscenities. Selmak told me privately he was impressed with Jacob's range."

"How nice of him. What else?"

"Cryofreeze" he covered her back with his hands and held her closer. "But they aren't sure the prep chemicals won't interfere with the drug."

"Uhmmmm" she nipped at his shoulder slightly. "Anything else?"

"The Tollans are rather furious about anyone creating any kind of sexual slavery drug and so agreed to add a few scientists to our group. Also, Jack and Daniel went in search of the Nox, counting on them to maybe have an alternative solution."

The door went open in the main room.

"Sam?!" Janet's voice carried down to the bathroom. "Sam, we have an idea!"

 

***

 

"Tretonin" Sam towelled off her hair, still shivering in her t-shirt and panties in the middle of the room, Martouf gone to catch something to eat.

"It will help you with the general damage done to your organs, which will allow everyone more time to find the _final_ solution. This is the safe version, one used by the Jaffa everywhere, and one that you can get off of, once there is no more need for it. If you get a dose now, plus a sedative Tok'ra use for more traumatic injuries - this affects the human half only, allowing the symbiote to work faster - you should not only be able to sleep for several hours, but will rebuild the torn muscles and, hopefully, it will also fix whatever went wrong with your liver and kidneys."

"And then..."

"Then Tok'ra will see if the Tretonin didn't also deal at least with part of what the drug does. If we can identify and neutralise that mental bond element, you could just, well. Get it out of your system and not risk getting 'bonded'."

"Much better than the other way 'round - if they removed the need, but the bond element stayed - I'd never be able to have sex again!"

Janet's eyes widened.

"Let's just make sure they follow the _right_ path."

 

***

 

Blessed, wonderful, delightful Tretonin worked.

Sam was ready to worship the Pangeans who invented it and the Tok'ra who purified and corrected it.

Only six shots into the treatment the organ damage had reversed, fever was reduced, body response to light, sound and temperature was nearly standard and the only remaining problem was Sam's extreme and unwavering sexual arousal. Which, for the time being, she was managing in the little, very well padded, isolated room, accompanied by an appropriate silicone-covered companion, a battery pack, a bottle of lube and some mood music.

Martouf was sleeping off his four-day vigil, having inhaled a huge, protein-rich dinner Janet specifically ordered for him to make sure Lantesh had something to work from when fixing the pulled muscles and overworked joints.

 

***

 

"Can we at this point consider calmly how to remove the risk of that 'bonding', whatever it may actually be?" Jacob asked in a tired voice. "As happy as I am that the treatment worked, Sam is still far from being... _fine_."

Daniel pushed a piece of paper towards the middle of the table.

"We managed to get the local priest to talk" he said slowly. "They deem the concentrated usage of the potions an anathema. However, when asked for some kind of antidote... they said there is none. We asked, in several different ways, how to undo the symptoms once someone who isn't a willing participant is affected and..."

Teal'c leaned in.

"It seems, from their description, the potion does not, in fact, have any 'bonding' quality."

"The way it works is to give a newly wedded pair a rush of hormones, a lot of 'uptime' and enhanced senses. The concentrated version only does it much faster - we obtained samples from both, and the difference is in dilution, nothing else."

"And the 'bond' these people described, a week ago?"

Daniel and Teal'c looked at each other cautiously.

"They tricked us, in a way" Daniel admitted. "What it turns out to be is not a _mental_ bond, but that due to the hormone rush..."

"The females conceive, every time" Teal'c finished. "And due to peculiar mores of their civilisation, they are bound to the man who beget the child, no matter what the manner of conception. This is what the tribe we met used to control their new women."

Jacob blinked.

"So, if you didn't get out of there when you did, and the chieftain managed to..."

"Yes."

The old Tok'ra went a bit green.

"But" Hammond clasped his hands on the table in front of him. "It means that whoever Carter picks should be fine, because there is no risk of brain damage anymore, right?"

Janet nodded, a bit hesitantly.

"OK" the general said slowly. "Who is going to tell her?"

 

***

 

Janet felt a bit volunteered for the task, but she couldn't imagine Sam receiving the news easily from anyone else. She wasn't very sure about her reaction as it was, already, so she tried to ease into the explanation slowly.

"No bloody bond?" Samantha asked from under the shower. "So what the heck was that supposed to be?"

Janet bit her lip.

"Pregnancy" she finally blurted out. "That's why no female company worked at all. And why your faithful blue friend here is just solving the immediate issue."

"So what would be the right trigger for the drug to stop messing with me?"

"Prostaglandin, most probably" Janet checked the next page of the printout. "Or pregnancy hormones, but I'm guessing that they aren't showing quickly enough to match what the locals describe."

"So, I need to have unprotected sex, once or more, and it should be fine?" Samantha pulled the robe around herself.

"Or we could try injection of pure prostaglandin" Janet suggested. "This way it doesn't have to involve any specific person and..."

Sam nodded slowly.

"Let's get to it, then" she sighed. "Before the next wave of this takes me and I manage to rub my skin raw with my - what did you call it? - faithful blue friend. Just don't let us meet any of the guys on the way to the medical, please. I think I'm going to die of embarrassment if I have to look at them right now!"

 

***

 

"So... that's it?" Daniel asked as Janet closed the folder.

"That's it" she shrugged.

"Some Tok'ra sedative, a few shots of Tretonin, an injection of..."

"Prostaglandin."

"And she's fine?" Jack squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "I thought it would be much more... dramatic."

"You want more dramatic?" Daniel spluttered. "Is it not enough that she nearly died of cardiac arrest a few times in the first hours? Or that she nearly fried her brain because of the fever?"

The colonel twitched.

"Well, I thought it would include at least one shootout with some Jaffa, or bashing a villain over the head with my gun's butt. This seems oddly anticlimactic."

Daniel snorted into his water bottle.

"I admire Marty's resilience, I have to say" Jack sipped his coffee. "For a guy to do _that_ for four days, without much hopes for any kind of reward - after all, it was damned if they did, damned if they didn't kind of situation. Probably the Tok'ra have special classes that cover cases like this."

Janet smothered a smile. 

_Who said anything about Martouf getting **no reward**..._

 

 

 


End file.
